Brad Pickett itching to fight after lengthy absence from the ring

It’s been nearly a year since anyone has seen Brad Pickett compete inside the cage. Now, after recovering from an injury suffered in training for a bout with Miguel Torres earlier this year, Pickett is set to return to action.

Pickett (21-4) will meet Renan “Barao” this Saturday at UFC 138 from Birmingham, England. The bout, which is slated for the main card’s co-main event, will be shown via tape-delay in the U.S. with Chris Leben and Mark Munoz meeting in the organization’s first non-title, five-round main event.

For “One Punch” Pickett, it’s a shot at showcasing the skills he displayed while climbing the bantamweight charts in the WEC. He was 3-1 there, defeating former title contender Demetrious Johnson. His lone loss since 2007 came at the hands of Scott Jorgensen.

“Winning is always gonna put you in a better position. Losing is gonna put you in a worse position,” said Pickett, in a recent interview with UFC’s website. “So all I need to do is keep winning, and I’m gonna be there.”

Pickett knows his contest with Barao (26-1) will be a war, as the Brazilian has won 16 straight fights since a no-contest in 2007. His lone career defeat came in his debut match in 2005.

“Good things come to those who wait, I guess, and I’m happy to be able to fight in England and being in the co-main event is massive to me,” Pickett said. “But I don’t want to get too carried away because it hasn’t happened yet. Until the cage door shuts and I turn around and look at my gloves and they say “UFC” on them, I haven’t yet made my debut.”